OMAHA, Neb. — St. Cloud State men's hockey forward Micah Miller discusses what may have been a key to his quick start in the season-opener, his background growing up in northern Minnesota, his track and field career, who his roommate is during the three-week NCHC pod and what they are doing to pass their down time.

All this and more on this week's podcast with The Rink Live's Mick Hatten.

The career in hockey of Dave Shyiak includes a couple of pretty big connections to former St. Cloud State assistant coach Gibbons. Gibbons retired after last season and Shyiak was hired to replace him in May.

But the two go back farther. Gibbons was an assistant coach for Northern Michigan from 1983-88. One of the players that Gibbons recruited to play for the Wildcats was ... you guessed it, Shyiak, who played junior hockey for the Humboldt Broncos before playing forward for Northern Michigan from 1987-91.

After a season of pro hockey, Shyiak coached in juniors for the Kimberly Dynamiters and Merritt Centenials before getting back to college hockey as a coach. He was an assistant coach for Northern Michigan from 1995-2005, the head coach at Alaska-Anchorage from 2005-13 and Western Michigan from 2014-20.

Luke Jaycox is coming back from two offseason surgeries to repair problems with the labrum in his hips. This is not the first time that has had two surgeries in close proximity to one another. Jaycox shares how he had two surgeries in high school and led to his love of cottage cheese.

He also talks about his love of the outdoors, including going duck hunting with teammates and his first trip deer hunting with family in several years, his dreams of running a business in northern Minnesota, what it was like growing up in Warroad, Minn., playing for the Lincoln Stars in the United States Hockey League and what it is like to prepare for the NCHC pod.

All this and more in a fun podcast with The Rink Live's Mick Hatten.

Nick Perbix is about to find out what college hockey is like without a familiar face. Jack Ahcan was not only Perbix's defensive partner for two seasons, but the duo were also roommates on road trips.

Perbix talks about the adjustments, playing junior hockey for the Omaha Lancers, his love of golf and what it was like growing up in a hockey family. His father, Jay, played college hockey for Gustavus Adolphus and his brother, Jack, is a sophomore forward for the University of Minnesota. Blake Perbix, who was a Mr. Hockey finalist last season for St. Cloud Cathedral, is a cousin of Jack and Nick.

Perbix, a Tampa Bay Lightning draft pick, also discusses this season's St. Cloud State men's hockey team, how much he might pack for three weeks in the NCHC pod in Omaha, his favorite place to eat in that city and more with The Rink Live's Mick Hatten.

St. Cloud State goalie Emma Polusny admits that playing in 32 of the Huskies' 35 games last season took a bit of a physical and emotional toll on her. Polusny spent the previous two seasons splitting time with Janine Alder, who struggled to come back entirely from a health issue last season.

Then, like everyone, Polusny had to deal with an uncertain offseason with the coronavirus pandemic as to where and how to train for this season. She talks about what she came up with, how she's dealing with the isolation, adding a political science minor, graduating, possibly playing pro hockey and more with The Rink Live's Mick Hatten.

If you have a conversation with Kevin Fitzgerald, you quickly learn that he is someone who enjoys a lot of aspects of life.

He's a former high school baseball shortstop, has been an intramural soccer and hockey referee, enjoys being an accounting major and all of his hockey stops along the way.

Fitzgerald grew up playing in Hinsdale, Ill., a suburb of Chicago, then played junior hockey in Topeka, Kan., Burlington, Vt., and Aberdeen, S.D., before getting to St. Cloud State. The senior was named an alternate captain for the Huskies on Wednesday and joins The Rink Live's Mick Hatten to talk about all of this and more.

Will Hammer has been a part of the St. Cloud hockey scene for a lot of years. He played his high school hockey at Cathedral and is beginning his senior season as a forward for the St. Cloud State men's hockey team.

Hammer, 24, took a much bigger role with the Huskies last season. After playing in a combined four games his first two seasons, Hammer played 32 games last season mostly at center.

Between Cathedral and St. Cloud State, Hammer played three seasons in the North American Hockey League with the Aberdeen Wings and Minnesota Magicians. Hammer talks about his challenges and triumphs of his career, his battle with a heart issue that has been surgically fixed, taking master's classes, this season's team, his foray into music and more in this episode with The Rink Live's Mick Hatten.

If not for the coronavirus pandemic, St. Cloud State women's hockey coach Steve Macdonald would likely be preparing his team for its third regular season series of the season. Alas, the season has not started yet for women's hockey, but as Macdonald notes, we are getting closer to the season-opener.

Macdonald also talks about the recruiting challenges that the pandemic has created, what it's like to coach a team that has players from five countries (Finland, Czech Republic, Canada, Germany, USA) and six states (Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Alaska, North Dakota and Indiana), talks about his top two returning scorers (Klara Hymladrova and Oliva Cvar), eight newcomers (goalie Sanni Ahola, forwards Addi Scribner, Mackenzie Bourgerie, Linnea Melotindos, Emma Gentry, Allison Green and Nicole Ness and defensemen Adela Skrdlova) and more with The Rink Live's Mick Hatten.

In Episode 1 of the Huskies Hockey Insider, St. Cloud State men's hockey head coach Brett Larson tackles a wide range of topics with The Rink Live's Mick Hatten.

Larson gives an update on freshman forward Veeti Miettinen's visa situation, return from surgery updates (Luke Jaycox, Joe Molenaar), breaks down the new players (including grad transfers Seamus Donohue and Jared Cockrell), how the team is coping with the COVID-19 pandemic, the latest on the start of the 2020-21 season and more.